The currently marketed oral liquids such as cough syrups, analgesics, antacids, laxatives and the like, generally contain an active drug or a combination of active drugs and various pharmaceutical carrier materials such as diluents, suspending agents, solvents, flavors, and the like which have been combined to form a vehicle suitable for dispensing in liquid form. The liquid form can be, if desired, a suspension or an emulsion.
Parents have generally experienced three principle problems in using elixirs, syrups, suspensions, emulsions and similar liquids which are designed for administration to children. Firstly, the liquid has a tendency to spill from the administration device, usually a spoon, resulting in a sticky mess and possible causing staining of clothing, furniture and the like. Secondly, many medicines require that only a portion of the administration device, e.g. a portion of a teaspoon, be the adminstrated dosage for very young children. As a result, there is difficulty in measuring the exact dosage to be administered.
The third principle problem is that children generally do not like the taste of the medicine. Many of the active ingredients used in the pharmaceutical industry today are organo-metallics, amines, amides, alkaloids, and their derivatives. These agents are known to impart unpleasant, bitter, metallic or other characteristic tastes or aftertastes to conventionally formulated pharmaceutical dosage forms.
In some instances, medicaments have been incorporated into gelled vehicles. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,767,784 and 4,305,933. Such compositions do not overcome the foregoing problems and do not provide a convenient, pleasant tasting dosage form which is appealing to all age groups as a vehicle for taking medicine.
It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a unique, novel and pleasant tasting composition which is useful as a confectionery or alternatively is useful as a carrier for a convenient drug delivery system which overcomes difficulties realized with children's liquid medications heretofore. This and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.